The invention relates to a device and method for controlling antenna patterns of a portable communication device. Such portable devices, in particular mobile phones, have become a household word. In operation, such devices generally communicate with a remote base station, of which the geographical location will not be known a priori. Systems have been used with cellular terrestrial base stations, as well as with satellites. A first operational parameter of such system is the electromagnetic field strength from the base station at the position of the mobile phone. A second parameter is the principal direction of the received field vector; this indicates an apparent origin direction of the base station, which through various environmental causes may differ from the real origin direction. Optimum reception depends on this orientation relative to the antenna reception sensitivity pattern. A third parameter is the principal axis of the emitted field vector from the phone itself. Optimum reception of the transmitted signals in both directions requires that the origin direction and the principal axis should coincide with each other, and also regarding an optimum viz à viz antenna configurations. Another wish is that radiation emitted by the device should as much as possible be directed away from the head or other relevant part of a human user, or other nearby absorbing physical matter or obstacles during actual operation of the phone. Depending on the orientation of the device, certain ones of the above requirements may be in conflict.